Abstract
International volunteering has become a complex field in the context of globalization. Within the discourses of international volunteering and development programs as well as in the voices of volunteers, the field can be understood as one of unpaid transnational labor, as social activism and altruism, and as a new “soft power” post-colonial agenda. Many studies contend in this context that international volunteers need better training for intercultural understanding amidst these disparate frameworks, to make meaning out of their service and effectively contribute to communities they serve. This study examines the motivations, experiences, and challenges of US volunteer teachers in China’s Yunnan Province as reported within a survey implemented in 2012. Findings elaborate on the challenge volunteers face reconciling cross-cultural views of education while working in post-colonial global contexts, and suggest that intercultural training is necessary to prepare volunteers for related global work practices in the future.
Résumé
Le volontariat international est devenu un domaine complexe dans le contexte de la mondialisation. C’est dans les discours des programmes de bénévolat international et de développement ainsi que dans les témoignages des bénévoles que ce domaine peut être considéré comme l’une des formes de travail international non rémunéré, ainsi que de l’activisme social et de l’altruisme, et un nouveau programme post-colonial de « pouvoir doux » . De nombreuses études soutiennent dans ce contexte que les volontaires internationaux doivent être mieux formés à la compréhension interculturelle parmi ces cadres disparates pour donner un sens à leur service et favoriser efficacement les communautés qu’ils servent. Cette étude examine les motivations, les expériences et les défis d’enseignants américains bénévoles dans la province du Yunnan en Chine, tels que rapportés dans une enquête réalisée en 2012. Les conclusions donnent des détails sur les défis auxquels ces bénévoles sont confrontés pour concilier les opinions interculturelles de l’éducation tout en travaillant dans des contextes mondiaux post-coloniaux, et suggèrent qu’une formation interculturelle est nécessaire pour préparer les volontaires à des pratiques de travail mondiales connexes à l’avenir.
Zusammenfassung
Internationale Freiwilligendienste haben sich im Kontext der Globalisierung zu einem komplexen Bereich entwickelt. Im Rahmen der Diskussionen über internationale Freiwilligendienste und Entwicklungsprogramme sowie in den Stimmen der ehrenamtlich Tätigen kann der Bereich als ein Bereich unbezahlter transnationaler Arbeit, als sozialer Aktivismus und Altruismus und als ein neues postkoloniales „Soft Power“-Konzept verstanden werden. Viele Studien behaupten in diesem Zusammenhang, dass international ehrenamtlich Tätige besser in Bezug auf ein interkulturelles Verständnis in diesen sehr unterschiedlichen Rahmenbedingungen geschult werden müssen, um die Bedeutung ihrer Dienste erkennen und effektiv zu den Gemeinden, in denen sie tätig sind, beitragen zu können. Diese Studie untersucht die im Rahmen einer 2012 durchgeführten Befragung angegebenen Motivationen, Erfahrungen und Probleme US-amerikanischer ehrenamtlicher Lehrer in der chinesischen Provinz Yunnan. Die Ergebnisse führen die Probleme der ehrenamtlich Tätigen aus, wenn sie versuchen, die interkulturellen Ansichten zur Bildung bei ihrer Arbeit in postkolonialen Kontexten miteinander in Einklang zu bringen. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass interkulturelle Schulungen notwendig sind, um die ehrenamtlich Tätigen auf die entsprechenden zukünftigen globalen Arbeitspraktiken vorzubereiten.
Resumen
El voluntariado internacional se ha convertido en un campo complejo en el contexto de la globalización. En los discursos del voluntariado internacional y de los programas de desarrollo, así como también en las voces de los voluntarios, el campo puede ser entendido como un trabajo transnacional no pagado, como activismo social y altruismo, y como una nueva agenda poscolonial de “poder blando”. Muchos estudios afirman en este contexto que los voluntarios internacionales necesitan una mejor formación en comprensión intercultural entre estos marcos dispares, para dar significado a su servicio y para contribuir de manera efectiva en las comunidades en las que sirven. El presente estudio examina las motivaciones, experiencias y desafíos de profesores voluntarios estadounidenses en la Provincia Yunnan, en China, tal como se notifican en una encuesta implementada en 2012. Los hallazgos profundizan en el desafío al que se enfrentan los voluntarios reconciliando visiones multiculturales de la educación mientras trabajan en contextos globales poscoloniales, y sugieren que la formación intercultural es necesaria para preparar a los voluntarios para prácticas de trabajo globales relacionadas en el futuro.
摘要
国际志愿者已经成为了全球化过程中一个复杂的领域。在国际志愿者组织及其发展的论述和志愿者的话语中可以看出,这个领域已经被理解成一种无报酬的跨国劳工、一种社会活动和利他主义和一种新型后殖民时期的“软实力”。许多研究都认为,在这些不同的框架下,国际志愿者需要更好的跨文化理解力的培训,以更好的对其服务的社区做出贡献。通过2012年的一项问卷调查,本研究分析了在中国云南省做教师的美国志愿者们的动机、经验以及所遇到的挑战。研究表明,志愿者们面临的挑战是在后殖民的国际环境中,如果调节跨文化的教育理念。因此,研究认为,跨文化训练对未来培训国际志愿者是必不可少的。
ملخص
أصبح العمل التطوعي الدولي حقل معقد في سياق العولمة. ضمن محاضرات برامج التطوع والتنمية الدولية وكذلك في أصوات المتطوعين، مجال يمكن أن يتم فهمه على أنه أحد الأعمال غير مدفوعة الأجر عبر الحدود الوطنية، كنشاط إجتماعي والإيثار، وبأنه “القوة الناعمة” أجندة ما بعد الإستعمار الجديد. العديد من الدراسات تؤكد في هذا السياق أن المتطوعين الدوليين بحاجة إلى تدريب أفضل للتفاهم بين الثقافات وسط هذه الإطارات المختلفة، لجعل معنى لخدمتهم والمساهمة الفعالة في المجتمعات التي تخدمها. تبحث هذه الدراسة الدوافع، الخبرات، التحديات التي تواجه المعلمين المتطوعين الأمريكان في مقاطعة يوننان في الصين كما ذكرت ضمن إستطلاع رأي تم تنفيذه في 2012. النتائج تدرس بالتفاصيل التحديات التي تواجه المتطوعين الذين يوفقون بين وجهات النظر بين الثقافات من التعليم أثناء العمل في السياقات العالمية ما بعد الاستعمار، وتقترح إنه ضروري التدريب بين الثقافات لإعداد المتطوعين لممارسات العمل العالمي ذات الصلة في المستقبل.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Edilberto Sia and Mark Sun for assistance with survey development, preparation, and administration. This research was made possible by a Small Project Funding Grant from the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Education.
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Jackson, L., Adarlo, G. Bridging Cultures Through Unpaid Labor: US Volunteer Teachers’ Experiences in China’s Yunnan Province. Voluntas 27, 2330–2352 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-014-9519-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-014-9519-1